Behind Me
by Ryan-Ookami
Summary: Jounouchi has an unexpected guardian. Yaoi fluffiness.


A/N: Just some Jounouchi fluff I wrote to try and get back in the habit of writing. My comp busted while I was writing my other story (fierce child, also Jou-centric), and I started writing this to get back in the mood for writing, since my attempts were going so poorly. I own nothing, place a standard disclaimer here.  
  
Behind Me  
  
It's strange you know? Have you ever felt like you were being followed, constantly none the less? It's everywhere I go, I can feel it no matter what I do. It's this other prescence, always behind me, watching my back. At first I was freaked out, major heebies, ya know? This warmth always behind me, looking over my shoulder. When it started touching me that's when the insanity began.  
  
I don't really question it anymore, it just is, but at first I couldn't take it. It was fairly innocent at first, a hand on my shoulder, somehow a reminder that I wasn't alone. It was protective, always there when I needed it. I thought it was a ghost or something, but I don't know anyone dead. Is it possible to know someone dead? ...Hmmm, does Yami count? It wasn't a ghost though, it was real, I just couldn't see it. Seeing isn't always believing. I was coming home one day, it was really rainy and I was starting to cough. I knew I was getting a cold. Winter was coming on soon and I didn't have enough to get a new jacket yet. My last paycheck went to pay the rent. When it comes to a jacket versus a place to live...at least I'll have somewhere to feel sick at, a nice bed to crawl into. I jumped up the steps two at a time and unlocked the door. I shook the rain from my hair and went in, taking off my shoes and slipping into my slippers. Sidenote, they're little black dragons, Shizuka bought them for me as a gag, I love em.  
  
I walked down the hall and into my room, flopping back softly against my bed. It had been a long day and I was feeling unwell still. I shivered again and sat up. Two strong hands reached around me and pulled off my shirt. "shit!" I yelled and jerked away, falling to the floor. My shirt was now on my bed, looking for all the world as though nothing were wrong. I could feel the telltale warmth of my invisible guest, it was standing close to me. I stood up shakily, not knowing what was happening, not entirely sure I wanted to find out. I think I was ready to faint when my belt decided to undo itself.  
  
I jumped back against the wall and held my hands out infront of me. I wasn't about to be part of some invisible strip show. A hand clamped down on my forearm and pulled me close, not that I could see what I was close to.  
  
"You're wet." A soft voice said directly in my ear. It was deep but soft, it sounded concered. "Just do as I ask Jounouchi-sama"  
  
I guess I shouldn't have been surprized that it knew my name, it had been following me around for almost a year by now. I looked around my room with wild eyes, trying for the life of me to see how this could be a trick. I really wanted it to be a trick. It's nice enough to have a sort of guardian angel at your back, but when it starts to tell you what to do it's called insanity.  
  
"Jounouchi-sama" it said patiently  
  
"Fine!" I growled, and I turned my back to take off my pants. I briefly considered telling it not to look, but how the hell could I tell if it was doing what I asked? I stood for a moment redfaced in my boxers, then edged my way over to my dresser to pull on some dry clothes. My friend chuckled. I don't know what he found so funny about this.  
  
"You're modest." he said shortly, almost as if reading my mind. I wondered if it really was reading my mind. The freakiness setting went up several notches. "It's alright Jounouchi-sama, it's not like I haven't seen you undressed before.  
  
Okay, that cut it. I had an invisible spy on my hands here. "That's it!" I bellowed, "You damn well show yourself!"  
  
"That's against the rules Jou-sama."  
  
I gritted my teeth together in frustration. This was insufferable. "Either you show yourself you pervert or I'll make you leave!" Gee, what a great line, huh? How the hell would I know if it left or not. Stupid empty pointless threats.  
  
There was silence for a few moments, then the air grew thicker, hotter. It got tough to breath for a moment. The place before my bed shimmered with fire for a moment and then a boy was standing there. Well, not a boy, a young man I guess. He was a few years older than me it seemed, and his costume was so damned familiar. He looked fairly ridiculous. I laughed, so sue me, I can't help it.  
  
The boy frowned at me, his dark eyes glittering. "This is the welcoming I get Jounouchi-sama?"  
  
"I-I-m sorry, but that dress! You look just like...shit." It dawned on me, heavily. "Oh shit." I said again since all other words seemed to have left me.  
  
"And you think I like wearing a dress? Thank Pegasus, he designed the stupid thing, he didn't consult me first. Do you know how impractical a skirt is when you're trying to fight?"  
  
"You're the Flame Swordsman!"  
  
He looked at me with dull eyes. "You're just getting that now?" I swallowed heavily. It's not every day a living breathing duel monster appears on your bed. " You okay Jou-sama, you look like you're going to faint."  
  
I nodded again, not trusting myself to answer. He was sitting right there infront of me, the only thing missing was the sword. I assumed it had to be around here somewhere. "What the hell are you doing here???" I finally managed to get out after taking a deep breath.  
  
He shrugged. "I belong here, to you. Didn't you know?" He looked expectantly at me. "Hmm, I guess you don't understand, you're not all that familiar with magic. You shared my card for a while, Jounouchi-sama, my card, my soul. I've been locked in there for a long time, when you got put inside my card it connected us. The connection lets me come into the outside world." he looked down sadly. "The world's really different now, not like I remember."  
  
I stared at him dumbly, trying to get the concepts through my thick head. This is what you get when you get caught up in ancient magicks I guess. In a strange way he suddenly reminded me of Yami, a stranger in a strange place, you know. Whatever world he had known was long gone, everything he probably once cared for had been destroyed. It wasn't a nice feeling to be dealing with.  
  
I sat down casually on the bed next to him, not really sure of what to say. There wasn't anything I could do, the world he knew was gone and not retrievable. "I guess things are really different." I said softly.  
  
He looked over thoughtfully, his eyes staring down at me. He reached up and took iff his oversized hat-helmet thing and tossed it to the ground. It made a dull 'thunk' sound as it hit. "Yeah, I guess so." he smiled slightly. "It's not a total loss after all, I did get to meet you by coming here."  
  
I looked up sharply. He was smiling slightly, almost as if he was teasing me. I didn't like it. "So what are you going to do, are you free now or something?"  
  
He shook his head slightly. "Not yet, Jou-sama, but you can help me."  
  
"Help?"  
  
"I want to be free, to do what I want, but I can't yet. There's something I have to do first to gain freedom." he looked over at me, his dark eyes intent on mine. "Will you help me?"  
  
Something heavy seemed to weigh on my answer, something important. I considered it carefully. Of course I wanted to help him, he deserved to be free after all, but I had also gotten used to him. The fact that it might hurt if he left occured to me, I didn't want that, I liked the feeling of someone having my back. I sighed. It wasn't right though to be selfish and keep him to myself. "I'll help." I agreed firmly.  
  
His smile nearly lit up the room, his eyes coming alive. He reached out quickly and put his hands around my waist, pulling me closer, his lips found mine and refused to let go. My mind spun wildly as he continued the kiss, forcing his tongue into my mouth. I certainly hadn't been expecting this, who knew the card-spirit had the hots for me? Hots, hmm, is that a bad pun?  
  
He turned roughly so that he was sort of perched above me, sitting on the edge of my bed. His hands tangled in my hair. My own hands were putting all their effort into keeping me upright. If I happened to fall on my back I was sure he'd take it as an invitation. It passed lightly across my mind that perhaps an invitation might be the sort of thing to do right about now. I'd never really prepared for such a situation before, not many people plan for having a male card-spirit in a weird dress-outfit pouncing them and kissing them into insensibility. Now that I was here though it seemed pretty nice, for someone trapped in a card he hadn't lost his touch, he was a good kisser.  
  
The realization that I was only wearing boxers became painfully noticable. He grinned and began to casually remove the dumb-looking outfit Pegasus must have drawn for him. Underneath those clothes he was just as fit as he appeared from the outside. My face turned several shades redder. One thing I'd never thought about before, he didn't wear anything under the outfit, boxers probably having no point to someone who has no bodily functions. Still, you'd think for astetics he might bother to wear something.  
  
"Free me," he whispered breathily into my ear. I've heard people say how romantic blowing in someone's ear is before, but never believed it. I was way wrong.  
  
I looked up uncertainly at him, my eyes searching his face. He seemed so sincere as he looked down at me. I thought about all those months that he had been there for me, protected me. I didn't want to lose him. I shuddered, not sure what to do. "Stay..."  
  
He smiled again. "I belong to you Jounouchi-sama, no matter what I won't leave you. I'll always have your back." He looked at me archly, obviously intending the double inuendo. For a guy in a card he was pretty damn forward about what he wanted... then again, he probably hadn't had much chance to have any relationships while stuck like that, no surprize he's be this needy after such a long time.  
  
I looked in his eyes again and everything went away. I smiled and kissed him back.  
  
"I belong to you, with you Jounouchi-sama."  
  
I leaned backwards on the bed, pulling him down with me. "Just call me Jou."  
  
THE END  
  
A/N: Well, there. nice light and fluffy. Nothing terribly exciting or earth shattering, but it did get me back in a rythm. Just thought I'd share it with you all even though it's nothing special. One thing, I realize that the Flame Swordsman isn't much of a looker, but for the sake of artistic liscense I made him a bit younger and more physically attractive. (if you look at the actual card it seems like he doesn't even have facial features!) 


End file.
